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The latest
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes continues to lead Pro Bowl fan voting | NFL.com
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with 143,355 votes, leads all players in balloting for the 2021 Pro Bowl presented by Verizon.
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson (251,390 votes) ranks second overall, while Tennessee running back Derrick Henry (235,005), Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce (234,802 votes) and Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook (234,564 votes) round out the top five.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lead all clubs in total votes received. The Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers round out the current top five.
Arrowhead Pride Editor’s Note: For some reason, the NFL.com article gives Mahomes’ vote total as 143,355, which is what it was on November 25. His current vote total is 261,309.
2020 NFL playoff picture: Rookies who will shape postseason race | NFL.com
8 - Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Kansas City Chiefs · RB
Drafted: Round 1, No. 32 overall
Clyde Edwards-Helaire flashed major talent in a memorable 138-yard Week 1 debut, reminiscent of ex-Chief Kareem Hunt’s first pro game in Kansas City in 2017. However, Edwards-Helaire has crossed the century mark just one time since, while his workload dropped with the addition of veteran back Le’Veon Bell — Edwards-Helaire didn’t play in Sunday’s win over Denver after suffering an illness last week. The thing is, in the Chiefs’ pass-heavy attack, the rookie doesn’t have to carry the offense; he just has to contribute when called upon, which he did even as his usage decreased between Weeks 7 and 12, scoring four total touchdowns on 53 touches in that span. It’s not hard to envision him coming through with big play in a key moment as Kansas City continues to mount its title defense.
Andy Reid has a problem with Tyreek Hill’s goal line backflips | New York Post
I’ll talk to him about that,” Reid said Wednesday of his star wideout’s trick. “I just want him in the end zone. That’s what I’d like. It’s nice he can do backflips, but let’s do ’em in the end zone.”
Reid didn’t seem too concerned about Hill costing his team with his literally over-the-top antics.
“Unless it’s taunting, it’s not a penalty,” he said.
NFL Week 14 game picks: Rams top Patriots; Steelers over Bills | NFL.com
Kansas City Chiefs 27, Miami Dolphins 21
1 p.m. ET (CBS) | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Dolphins coach Brian Flores was part of a Patriots staff that slowed down Patrick Mahomes better than most. Miami’s defense is built to change looks and disrupt Kansas City’s timing enough to keep the Chiefs’ red-zone and run-game struggles going. Look for the Dolphins to keep this game interesting, even if their offense is leaning a little too much on guys like Myles Gaskin, Jakeem Grant and Lynn Bowden.
NFL Week 14: Picks and preview | YardBarker
On the spot: Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire . Miami will play the Chiefs tough - they have the league’s second-best scoring defense - but if Edwards-Helaire can extend drives and establish some semblance of a running game, Kansas City should be able to pull away.
Dolphins CB Xavien Howard: Howard leads the NFL with eight interceptions, and is a huge reason why the Dolphins have forced at least one turnover in a league-best 18 straight games. Xavien, have you met Tyreek Hill?
The pick: Chiefs 30 Dolphins 24
Casting five-man ballots (with five points for the first-place pick and one point for the fifth-place pick), we assessed the entire race ahead of Week 14. The results: Rodgers and Mahomes are neck and neck, with Wilson now a distant third and a handful of others still clinging to contention.
The panel of voters: CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora, Pick Six Podcast host Will Brinson, senior reporter Jonathan Jones, NFL writers John Breech, Jared Dubin, Cody Benjamin, Bryan DeArdo, Jeff Kerr and Josh Edwards
The full MVP tally
QB Patrick Mahomes (43)
QB Aaron Rodgers (37)
As has been the case throughout the season, the Chiefs are still looked at as the betting favorite to be the last team standing when the 2020 season comes to a close. If that comes to fruition, they’d become the first team since the 2003, 2004 Patriots to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles. On top of being the favorite to win it all, Kansas City’s odds have improved to +210 over the last few weeks, which could be thanks to the Steelers’ recent loss to the Washington Football Team. That now clears a path in the current NFL playoff picture for the Chiefs to leap over Pittsburgh as the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Atlanta Falcons have to close the deal out for Eric Bieniemy | Blogging Dirty
According to a report from Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, the Atlanta Falcons- led by owner Arthur Blake- are pushing for a package deal that would put current Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as the head coach and former NFL GM John Dorsey into the general manager role.
Around the NFL
New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick says Cam Newton will remain starting quarterback | ESPN
“Cam’s our quarterback,” Belichick said in his postgame news conference, cutting off the question to give his answer.
Newton finished 9-of-16 for 119 yards against the Rams, with one costly interception that was returned 79 yards for a touchdown, as the Patriots’ passing offense sputtered once again.
Browns GM: Baker Mayfield ‘deserves a lot of credit’ for approach to 2020 season | NFL.com
Browns general manager Andrew Berry spoke highly of Mayfield’s maturation on the most recent edition of the Huddle & Flow podcast with NFL Network’s Steve Wyche and Jim Trotter.
“I think Baker deserves a lot of credit in terms of how he’s approached this year,” Berry said. “I don’t know that the challenge of going into a third offensive system, no offseason can be appreciated enough externally. That’s no easy task for any player, let alone a young quarterback.”
Baltimore Ravens WR Dez Bryant says he’s tested negative ‘back-to-back’ for COVID-19 | ESPN
Ravens coach John Harbaugh spoke to reporters Thursday, before Bryant’s post on Twitter.
“He’s doing as well as can be expected,” Harbaugh said about Bryant. “He’s a guy that cares. He sacrificed a lot to leave home and leave family behind. He’s a family man and has kids. I think he’s pretty hurt by it. He’s not mad at anybody. But just the circumstances, I think he’s a little stunned by it, surprised that it came up. I think he’s trying to work his way through it right now.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Dolphins would like more defenders to handle Chiefs’ receiving threats
The Chiefs’ 2018 triumvirate of offensive stars — Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill — remain. Together, they’ve accumulated 2,194 receiving yards (and 21 touchdowns) on the way to the 11-1 record they are bringing to Miami.
“Yeah, you’ve seen a lot of growth — obviously — since the last time I was on the field coaching against this group,” said Flores. “They’re better. They’re confident. They play hard. They execute. They’ve got good coaches. If [Chiefs offensive coordinator] Eric Bieniemy is not a head coach here soon, something is wrong.”
But as far as Flores is concerned, the problem isn’t just Hill and Kelce — now ranked second and third in NFL receiving yards behind Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. Mahomes has racked up an additional 1,678 yards (and 10 more touchdowns) to no fewer than 13 other Chiefs. Even left tackle Eric Fisher has a touchdown reception in 2020. It leads to a conundrum for opposing defenses.
“Who do you want to put on Sammy Watkins?” asked Flores. “Who do you want to put on Mecole Hardman? Who do you want to put on Demarcus Robinson? We’ve got to handle the backs, too. Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s a good back. Le’Veon Bell’s not a slouch, either.
“I wish we could have 14 defenders. That’d be nice.”
A tweet to make you think
New Orleans Saints, in partnership with the city of New Orleans, have agreed to roll back their previously announced capacity for the Dec. 20 Kansas City Chiefs game from 15,000 to 3,000.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 10, 2020
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